Less Bells is the

stage name A stage name or professional name is a pseudonym used by performers, authors, and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. The equivalent concept among writers is called a ''nom de plume'' (pen name). Some performers ...

of Julie Carpenter, a multi-instrumentalist and vocalist. She is from

Joshua Tree, California Joshua Tree is a census-designated place (CDP) in San Bernardino County, California, United States. The population was 6,489 at the 2020 census. At approximately above sea level, Joshua Tree and its surrounding communities are located in the Hig ...

. Prior to starting the Less Bells project, Carpenter worked with (performed, recorded, and/or composed) with The Autumns,

Eels Eels are ray-finned fish belonging to the order (biology), order Anguilliformes (), which consists of eight suborders, 20 Family (biology), families, 164 genus, genera, and about 1000 species. Eels undergo considerable development from the earl ...

Kenneth James Gibson Kenneth James Gibson is a musician, record producer, composer, singer, songwriter and a founding member of Bell Gardens, Furry Things, Eight Frozen Modules, and endics.shuffle. Career Kenneth James Gibson was born in Canada, grew up in El ...

, and

The Brian Jonestown Massacre The Brian Jonestown Massacre is an American Rock music, rock band led and started by Anton Newcombe. It was formed in San Francisco in 1990. The group was the subject of the 2004 documentary film called ''Dig!'', and have gained media notorie ...

. Carpenter signed with Kranky in 2018 and released ''Solifuge'', an album of electroacoustic music evoking the landscape of the Joshua Tree area. In an interview with

RTÉ (; ; RTÉThe É in RTÉ is pronounced as an English E () and not an Irish É ()) is an Irish public service broadcaster. It both produces and broadcasts programmes on television, radio and online. The radio service began on 1 January 1926, ...

, Carpenter described her music as "Electro Orchestral soundtracks for alternate universe

Jodorowsky Alejandro Jodorowsky Prullansky (; born 17 February 1929) is a Chilean and French avant-garde filmmaker. Known for his films '' El Topo'' (1970), '' The Holy Mountain'' (1973) and '' Santa Sangre'' (1989), Jodorowsky has been "venerated by cul ...

films about heroic but doomed women". A sophomore follow-up for Kranky, ''Mourning Jewelry'', arrived in August 2020.Mourning Jewelry review

Pop Matters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fil ...

Discography

*''Solifuge'' ( Kranky, 2018) *''Mourning Jewelry'' (Kranky, 2020) *''The Drowned Ground'' (Meadows Heavy Recorders, 2023)

References

{{authority control American experimental musicians Musicians from California Year of birth missing (living people) Living people People from Joshua Tree, California Kranky (record label) artists